Swimming pools, lap pools, therapeutic pools, spas, and other self contained water and fluid reservoirs and holding basins require routine maintenance and cleaning. Routine maintenance consists of cleaning the filtration system skimmer(s), obtaining samples of water, recording the water temperature, brushing the pool walls, vacuuming the pool, and adding chemicals.
The primary swimming pool filtration system uses a pump or mechanical device to circulate the water by drawing the water into one or more in-takes, circulating the water through the filtering system, and then pumping the water back into the pool. To prevent large objects and debris from clogging the intake filter pipes and/or damaging the impeller of the filter pump, one or more water filter skimmer units is affixed to the side of the pool. The skimmer unit is located at or below the waterline and is comprised of a housing unit which collects water, a skimmer basket, and a removable cover to gain access to the skimmer basket. The skimmer cover is located outside the pool at or near ground level. The skimmer cover is designed to fit snuggly into a rabbit or notch on the top of the skimmer assembly to prevent people and animals from accidentally stepping into or falling into the skimmer assembly. Depending on the manufacturer's design, the skimmer cover will have one or two holes or slots which facilitates the cover to be removed. The diameter of the holes or slots varies by manufacturer. The skimmer cover is removed by bending or kneeling and sticking a finger into the hole and pulling the cover off. Once the skimmer cover is removed, the skimmer basket is revealed and accessible.
The skimmer basket is a submerged device used to trap waste and debris, such as leaves, bugs, rodents, paper, and other undesirable objects which may enter the pool. The skimmer basket is constructed in a grid like pattern, which, when not clogged by debris, is designed to allow water and small particles to flow to the pool filtration unit. The skimmer basket and skimmer assembly are designed so the basket will fit tightly into a cavity within the skimmer assembly unit and the basket will sit below the waterline. The clearance between the skimmer assembly cavity and the skimmer basket is tight to prevent debris from flowing between the skimmer assembly and the basket.
A lifting handle is located at the top of the skimmer basket. The handle is made of rigid plastic or metal and is intended to allow the pool owner or maintenance person to remove the basket from the skimmer assembly for cleaning. The standard method for removing the skimmer basket is for a person to bend, crouch or kneel down to lift and remove the skimmer cover, then place their hand into the water and grab the skimmer basket handle. This operation is uncomfortable for a healthy individual and difficult or impossible for anyone who has a disability or is not mobile enough to reach far enough to grasp the submerged skimmer basket handle. An even more objectionable and unhealthy aspect of the process is the fact the skimmer basket will have trapped debris, insects, vermin, and rodents, snakes, squirrels, rabbits, or other critters, which may be alive or dead. To grasp the skimmer handle a person must put their hand into the submerged skimmer basket which puts him in direct contact with the debris, insects, vermin, snakes or rodents trapped in the skimmer assembly. Once the skimmer basket has been removed, the debris is cleared from the basket, and the basket reinstalled into the skimmer assembly by bending over or kneeling and fitting the basket back into the skimmer assembly cavity. Likewise, the skimmer cover is placed back over the skimmer assembly.
The existing art for cleaning a pool skimmer is the manual procedure of bending, crouching or kneeling down, lifting the skimmer cover with a finger, and putting your hand into the skimmer unit and lifting the submerged skimmer basket. Alternative methods include lifting tools having limited functionality. Such lifting tools limited use do not perform maintenance functions, such as taking water, water depth indicator for taking water samples (18 inches), removing the thermometer, brushing the pool walls, vacuuming the pool, adding chemicals.
For sanitary and hygienic purposes, routine water testing is accomplished by taking samples and testing the chemical content, ph, algae and bacteria levels, as well as for other minerals and metals in the water. According to industry standards, water samples should be taken about one and one-half feet below the water surface. The recommended procedure is to fill the water sample container, pour the water out to rinse the container, and then re-fill the container. To obtain a water sample, the options have been limited to kneeling or lying down at the edge of the pool and with bottle in hand reaching one and one half feet down into the water, filling the container, rinsing the container, and re-filling it. An alternative method is to use what can best be described as a cup on a pole. The water can then be tested on-site using a manual water test kit or transported to a commercial facility where the sample can be tested using larger, more expensive and accurate, water testing equipment. The water sample container is typically a cylindrical cup, similar to a household measuring cup, with a large opening and without a cover. A better design is a bottle, attached to the pole by way of a removable clip or retainer, with a narrow or tapered mouth to prevent the water from being displaced before reaching the recommended depth of 18 inches and a leak proof cap to prevent spillage. The removable bottle clip also allows for the bottle to be positioned anywhere along the pole or completely removed from the pole.
Another maintenance problem is the removal of surface debris, particularly during windy days. The wind will often times blow debris such as leaves, grass clippings, flowers, twigs, and other matter into the pool. Until the debris becomes saturated by the water, it will remain floating on the surface. Moreover, if the wind remains relatively constant from the same direction, the debris will accumulate in the leeward end of the pool. If this debris is not removed before it becomes saturated, it will either be drawn into the skimmer or eventually sink to the bottom of the pool.
To solve this common maintenance task, one option is to use the pool pole, which is generally long, 8 to 16 feet and therefore cumbersome, with a screen device attached to the end. Another option is to purchase a leaf and debris screen fitted to a shorter pole. The shorter pole is a single purpose device which does not perform any other pool maintenance task.
Vacuuming debris from the floor and walls of the pool is another routine maintenance requirement. To manually vacuum a pool a long hose is attached to a long pole with a vacuum head attached to the end. The other end of the hose is placed in a skimmer assembly over the skimmer basket. The suction of the pool filtration system will draw the water and debris through the hose and the large waster products will be trapped in the skimmer basket, while smaller particles will be passed through the filtration system. To displace the air in the vacuum hose, the most common method is to kneel or lie down at the edge of the pool and hold the hose against a pool filter water return. The water pressure from the return forces the air to be displaced with water.
An alternative methodology is the use of an automated pool cleaner. These devices are connected to the pool filtration system via a flexible hose or tube. The main component is a device that traverses the floor of the pool vacuuming as it moves along. One of the shortcomings of these devices is that its hose can get snared on other pieces of pool apparatus such as a swim ladder. To reposition the device, the user can manually push the unit with a long pole or kneel or lie down on the pool deck, put their hand in the water, grab the hose, and tug on it, causing the device to be dislodged from its trapped position.
In addition to vacuuming or cleaning the floor of the pool the sides or walls of the pool also require cleaning, in particular, the area of the pool between the waterline and the top of the pool, deck, coping or surface. These sections of the walls are prone to having a ring or line of dirt, pollen, sunscreen oil, and other film, at or just above the waterline. A brush is used to scrub the sides of the pool to remove the film. If the entire pool is shallow, an adult can walk around the pool and clean the area between the waterline and the water surface. This also assumes the water is warm enough for the person to be in the pool while cleaning. If the pool has a deep water end so a person cannot clean the walls and stand, then the person has to hold onto the pool side with one hand and clean with the other or be strong enough to swim and keep their arms above the water while at the same time clean the walls with one hand. Another option is to lie on the pool deck and reach into the pool to clean the area. This method requires the person to crawl around the entire deck on their hands and knees to clean all the walls.
The water temperature also plays a role in pool maintenance. Warmer water is a more conducive environment to the growth of bacteria, fungus, and other unsanitary organisms. A pool thermometer is tethered to a pool ladder or attachment ring located on the coping or deck with a length of string. To check the temperature, the user must kneel or lie down on the pool deck and lift the string and thermometer from the water to view the temperature reading. Existing art offers a hook to catch the thermometer, but does not include friction points along the hook to prevent the thermometer string from sliding off the hook.
To insure the pool water is sanitary and safe for use by humans and animals, a disinfecting agent such as chlorine must be added to the water. Many such chemical agents come in the form of solid tablets, sticks or cartridges. The solid forms have a dusty residue. If the user does not wash their hands immediately after handling these agents, the residual chemical dust will result in discomfort or injury if the contaminated hand comes in contact with eyes, mouth or any open skin sore or wound. The current solution for eliminating such contamination when retrieving these agents from their container is for the user to wear gloves. A better solution is not to physically touch the chemical agents, but rather grasp the solid agent with a device as set forth in the invention.